We are super excited to be publishing the 25th edition of the Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta and Gozo! This year’s award ceremony shall take place on the 9th of December at Xara Lodge. As we eagerly await the survey results, we sat down with Clint Grech, Executive Chef at De Mondion – winners of last year’s Top Rated Restaurant Award!
How long have you been a chef, and how long have you worked at de Mondion, in the Xara Palace Relais & Châteaux?
I kicked off my career as a chef at the age of 16, in the de Mondion kitchen. It was my first summer job while studying at ITS. Fast forward to 23 years later (excluding 1 year internship in the UK), I continued to work in the de Mondion kitchen, working my way up to now leading it.
How would you describe your cooking style?
I focus on sustainability and supporting local produce. My goal is to take our guests on a culinary journey around our beautiful island. The dishes presented at de Mondion are an ode to local and traditional dishes but given a unique twist.
What do you focus on when choosing what dishes to include in the menu?
In Malta we have such interesting ingredients and produce, hence I believe it is very important to support local fishermen and farmers. When building a menu I look at taking traditional Mediterranean flavours and incorporating new techniques to showcase our local cuisine in a modern light.
If you could recommend your top three dishes from the menu, what would they be?
They have to be the Tribute to the Mediterranean Sea, the Stuffat tal-Qarnit, and the Cannolo.
What factors do you think helped de Mondion become last year’s winner of the Definitive(ly) Good Guide?
Customer satisfaction plays a pivotal role in a restaurant succeeding. Another important factor is consistency, whether in the quality of the food, the plating, the standard of service provided and many more. We aim at exceeding expectations for any guest dining at de Mondion.
While we wish the best of luck to all local restaurants for this year’s edition, we hope you enjoy this special treat from Executive Chef Clint and de Mondion – the recipe to one of their top dishes, Tribute to the Mediterranean Sea!
Makes: 10 Portions
Amberjack Preparation:
- 1.5kg Fresh whole amberjack
- 0.25kg Kombu
- 0.1kg Mirin
Gut the fish by removing all the intestines and gills. Fillet the fish and remove all the bones.
Lay the kombu sheet and with a pastry brush, brush the mirin. Put another sheet of Kombu on top of the fish and compress in a vacuum bag.
After 6 hours, open the bag and thinly slice.
Red Prawn Preparation:
- 10pcs Red prawn
- 0.1kg Lemon-infused olive oil
- 0.2kg Straciatella
- 0.05kg Fresh lemon Juice
- 0.01kg Sea salt
Keep the prawns very cold at all times.
Peel the prawns and keep the heads aside. Devein the prawns and rinse in ice salty water.
Press the heads and keep all the juices. Emulsify the head juices with the oil and the lemon juice and compress the prawns for 6 minutes.
Cuttlefish Preparation:
- 1kg Cuttlefish
- 0.25kg Olive oil
- 0.01kg Mint
- 0.2kg Breadcrumbs
- 1pc Lemon zest
- Salt
Clean the cuttlefish and discard the intestines.
Cut in half lengthwise and place in a vacuum bag with 0.1kg olive oil and mint. Cook in a water bath at 59°C for 30 minutes. Cool in ice cold water.
Heat the olive oil and fry the breadcrumbs until golden and crispy. Add the lemon zest and season.
Cut the cuttlefish into desired shape and pan sear lightly.
